Neil Liske

Mount Robson is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and is nicknamed "The Great White Fright." An avid mountaineer as well as an artist, Liske created this ceramic wall piece that depicts a mountain he climbed. Amongst many other adventures, he was one of four men who skied the Great Divide Traverse from Jasper to Lake Louise in 1967 along with Don Gardner, Chic Scott, and Charlie Locke).

Where I go and what I do has been an integral part of my creative process. At one time I would have thought clay a very unlikely medium for landscape work. However, my attraction to the outdoor world, whether climbing a mountain, or windsurfing on a prairie lake, prompted me to explore an expression that would convey some of these experiences that transcend everyday reality.

Textures are easily interrupted in clay, and I have used this aspect of the medium to play with and enhance distance, they also provide a very tactile element which makes the surface on which they are displayed come alive. Glazes have a very unique quality in that they are essentially a glass forming substance. This surface has a depth to it that reflects light and colour in a very rich and vibrant way. My clay landscape, Receding Space, reflects this interest in light.

It has always been a very satisfying and exciting process to unload the kiln in which landscape pieces have been fired and see the transformation from the very pastel flat surfaces to the vibrant colours and contrasts in the finished pieces.

It has taken some time to develop a process whereby I could control the application of glazes. The subject matter is first laid out on watercolour paper, and all the shapes are cut out; glazes are then applied through a masking and spraying technique.

Form is another interest, which is represented by the extruded clay sculpture Reflections. There has always been a zen-like quality to my work, the essence of a form that takes one outside the present, perhaps reflecting my long-history with high-alpine climbing. These works are contemplative, meditative, and quiet, they present the idea of peace and tranquility, just like being on a mountain top.

All of Neil's works are inscribed with the Chinese characters for either Peace or Happiness, it is his way of giving back to the world.

CV

Born: 1936, Goodfare, Alberta

Education:
1965-70, University of Calgary (Master’s Degree in Fine Arts)